Accuracy is the entire point of Vellum Lore. A site that debunks myths has no value if it spreads new ones, so we hold our own claims to the standard we apply to the stories we examine.

How we check a claim

• Go to the source. Wherever possible we trace a claim to the earliest original text or document, not to a later retelling of it.
• Prefer reputable references. We rely on established scholarship, standard reference works, and recognised subject authorities, and we name them.
• Date the evidence. Many myths collapse on a timeline — a rhyme that postdates the event it supposedly encodes, or an “ancient” tradition that turns out to be Victorian. We check when things actually appear.
• Separate fact from interpretation. We flag speculation as speculation and avoid stating contested readings as settled.

When we are not sure

If the record does not support a firm answer, we tell you the origin is uncertain rather than inventing one. “We don’t know” is a legitimate and often correct conclusion.

Found something we got wrong? Please see our corrections policy and get in touch.